Motion detection using field-difference measurements

ABSTRACT

A method of measuring the motion in video image data for a pixel uses both field-difference and frame-difference motion values to generate a motion value having increased accuracy. Image data ( 806 ) from the same pixel in a prior row of the same field ( 906 ) is compared to image data ( 808 ) from the same pixel in the prior row of the prior frame ( 908 ), and the absolute value of the difference is compared to the absolute value of the difference in image data ( 802 ) from the same pixel in a following row of the same field ( 902 ) and image data ( 804 ) from the same pixel in the following line of the prior frame ( 904 ). The minimum of these two values is the minimum frame-difference motion value which is input into a logical mixer. Also input into the logical mixer is the minimum field-difference motion value which may be determined by comparing data ( 802, 806 ) from the same pixel of an adjacent line of the same field ( 902, 906 ) with image data ( 810 ) from the same pixel of the same line of the prior field. The average of image data ( 810 ) from the same pixel of the same line of the prior field and image data ( 812, 814 ) from the same pixel of two rows prior or two rows after of the prior field ( 912, 914 ) may be used instead of image data ( 810 ) from the same pixel of the same line of the prior field alone, to increase the accuracy of the measurement.

This is a divisional application of Ser. No. 08/927,990 filed Sep. 12, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,104,755, which claims priority under 35 USC 119(e)(1) of provisional application Ser. No. 60/026,026, filed Sep. 13, 1996.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of image display systems, more particularly to methods and systems for detecting motion in a video data sequence.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Video image display systems create moving images by rapidly displaying a sequence of still images, or frames. Display systems must rapidly produce each new frame in order to create the impression of smooth motion in the video sequence. Each frame is formed by displaying an orthogonal array of picture elements, or pixels. During each frame, every pixel in the array is assigned its own brightness and color value. Digital systems typically represent a single pixel using three values, each value representing the intensity of one of three component colors.

Due to the high frame rate required to smoothly portray moving objects, display systems require a very high data throughput. Early television broadcast standards, such as NTSC, developed a technique called interlacing to reduce the throughput requirements. Interlaced video systems, such as NTSC, PAL, SECAM, and some HDTV standards, transmit each frame as two sub-frames or fields. Each of the two fields that form a frame contain alternate scan lines from the frame. The first field typically contains all of the odd scan lines while the second field contains all of the even scan lines. Because the display forms the two sequential fields so quickly, the viewer's eye integrates the sequential fields into a continuous moving display. While the two separate fields are visually integrated into a single frame, flicker is reduced by projecting the image fields sequentially.

Modern image display systems, such as not computer displays and some HDTV standards, are non-interlaced. Non-interlaced video systems are typically called progressively scanned, or simply proscan, since the lines that form each image are scanned sequentially from top to bottom instead of being divided into two fields. Proscan display systems must have a higher frame rate than interlaced systems in order to avoid visible image flicker. Because of the higher frame rate, proscan systems typically display more information and have a higher resolution than comparable interlaced systems with a lower frame rate.

Some modern image display systems with relatively high bandwidths convert interlaced video signals to proscan in order to improve the display quality. Additionally, some display devices, such as the digital micromirror device (DMD), utilize proscan data conversion to compensate for a lack of image persistence.

Proscan conversion can introduce errors, or artifacts, into an image depending on what the video sequence is displaying and how the proscan conversion is being performed. A simple form of proscan conversion simply adds the even lines from a frame to the odd lines of a frame. Although this form of proscan conversion is preferred for still images, it creates problems when displaying moving objects. The problems arise from the fact that the two fields in an image frame do not represent the image at the same point in time. The image data is created by scanning the original image twice, once for every odd line and a second time for every even line, therefore the even-line field represents data one-half of a frame period later than the data represented by the odd-line field. The proscan conversion described above, which creates current frame images by filling in missing lines with pixel data from the prior field, causes misalignment in moving images. This misalignment is most obvious along the edges of a moving object since the edges will appear jagged. The same effect occurs in the center of a moving object, but unless there is a lot of contrast within the object the artifacts are not as noticeable.

Alternative forms of proscan conversion, which eliminate the effects of motion, are line doubling and line averaging. Both line doubling and line averaging use data from adjacent pixels of the same field to fill in the missing lines of the current field. Line doubling simply displays each line from the present field twice, once in its proper position and once in place of the subsequent or preceding line from the next field. When the next field is received, the display again uses each line of image data twice, once in its proper position and once in place of the preceding or subsequent line from the previous field. Line-averaging systems create a new line of image data based on the average of the image data for the lines above and below the created line. Because both the line-doubling and line-averaging methods only use data from only one time sample, they avoid the problems associated with simply combining the two image fields. Line-doubling and line-averaging, however, reduce the effective resolution of the image since they use less information to generate each image.

In order to maintain the highest effective resolution while avoiding motion artifacts, proscan conversion systems should compensate for motion in the image data. Ideally, the contribution of adjacent pixels from the same video field and from the same pixel in adjacent video fields should depend on the amount of motion in the video sequence. Therefore an accurate motion detection system is needed to allow optimization of the proscan conversion process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Objects and advantages will be obvious, and will in part appear hereinafter and will be accomplished by the present invention which provides an improved method and system for measuring motion in a video image and for performing a proscan conversion on interlaced video data based on the improved motion measurement.

According to a first embodiment of the improved method of measuring motion, a field-difference motion value is calculated for a missing pixel. This field-difference motion value is used to select a proscan algorithm that will accurately de-interlace the video data.

According to another embodiment of the improved method of measuring motion, a field-difference motion value is determined by calculating a first prior-field average value equal to the average of same-pixel prior-field image data and same-pixel prior-field two-rows-prior image data, and determining the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel prior-row image data and the first prior-field average value data.

According to yet another embodiment of the improved method of measuring motion, a motion value is determined by determining a first prior-field average value equal to the average of same-pixel prior-field image data and same-pixel prior-field two-rows-prior image data, determining a first field-difference motion value equal to the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel prior-row image data and the first prior-field average value data.

According to yet another embodiment of the improved method of measuring motion, a motion value is determined by determining a second prior-field average value equal to the average of same-pixel prior-field image data and same-pixel prior-field two-rows-latter image data, and determining second field-difference motion value equal to the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel prior-row image data and the second prior-field average value data.

According to yet another embodiment of the improved method of measuring motion, a first field-difference motion value is determined by determining a first prior-field average value equal to the average of same-pixel prior-field image data and same-pixel prior-field two-rows-prior image data, determining a first field-difference motion value equal to the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel prior-row image data and the first prior-field average value data, a second field-difference is determined by determining a second prior-field average value equal to the average of same-pixel prior-field image data and same-pixel prior-field two-rows-latter image data, and determining second field-difference motion value equal to the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel prior-row image data and the second prior-field average value data, and a minimum of the first and second field-difference motion values is used as the field-difference motion value.

According to yet another embodiment of the disclosed invention calculates a field-difference motion value for a missing pixel, calculates a frame-difference motion value for a missing pixel, and selects a proscan algorithm based on both the frame-difference and the field-difference motion values to select an algorithm for creating data for the missing pixel.

According to yet another embodiment of the disclosed invention, a proscan algorithm is selected based on the frame-difference motion value when the frame-difference motion value is less than a threshold and using the field-difference motion value when the frame-difference motion value is greater than the threshold.

According to yet another embodiment of the disclosed invention, a proscan algorithm is selected based on the frame-difference motion value when the frame-difference motion value is less than first threshold, using the field-difference motion value when the frame-difference motion value is greater than a second threshold, and using a weighted average of the frame-difference and the field-difference motion values to select an algorithm for creating data for the missing pixel when the frame-difference motion value is less than the first threshold and greater than the second threshold.

According to yet another embodiment of the disclosed invention, a method of determining a motion value for a pixel location in a video signal is provided. The method comprises determining a first frame-difference motion value by comparing same-pixel prior-row image data from a current frame and a prior frame, determining a second frame-difference motion value by comparing same-pixel next-row image data from the current frame and the prior frame, and setting the motion value equal to a minimum of the first frame-difference motion value and the second frame-difference motion value.

According to yet another embodiment of the disclosed invention, a method of determining a motion value is provided. The method comprises comparing same-pixel prior-row image data from a current frame and a same-pixel same-row image data from a prior field.

According to yet another embodiment of the disclosed invention, a logical mixer is provided. The logical mixer comprises a first comparator outputting a selection signal indicating whether a first signal is greater than a threshold signal, a second comparator outputting a maximum signal equal to the maximum of the first signal and a second signal, and a selector receiving the selection signal, the first signal, and the maximum signal, the selector outputting the first signal when the first signal is less than the threshold signal and outputting the maximum signal when the first signal is greater than the threshold signal.

According to yet another embodiment of the disclosed invention, a display system is provided. The display system comprises a video processor for receiving an interlaced video signal and converting the interlaced video signal to a progressive-scan video signal, the video processor performs the conversion based on a calculated field-difference motion value for the interlaced video signal, and a display for receiving the progressive-scan video signal from the video processor and for displaying the progressive scan video signal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a graphical representation of five lines of image data from each of three fields of a video data sequence.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a frame-difference motion detection system of the prior art.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the frame-difference motion detection system of FIG. 2 indicating the location of the two pixels used to generate a motion value for a third pixel.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an improved frame-difference motion detection system which uses data from two rows of two frames to generate a motion value for a pixel.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the improved frame-difference motion detection system of FIG. 4 indicating the location of the four pixels used to generate a motion value for a fifth pixel.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a field-difference motion detection system which uses same-line-previous-field data and previous-line-same-field data to generate a motion value for a pixel.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of the field-difference motion detection system of FIG. 6 indicating the location of the two pixels used to generate a motion value for a third pixel.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an improved motion detection system which uses both field and frame-difference techniques to generate a motion value for a pixel based on data from five rows and three frames of pixels.

FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of the improved motion detection system of FIG. 8 indicating the location of the seven pixels used to generate a motion value for an eighth pixel.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the logical mixer of FIG. 8 used to combine the results from a field-difference motion detection subsystem and a frame-difference motion detection subsystem.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the logical mixer of FIG. 8 used to combine the results from a field-difference motion detection subsystem and a frame-difference motion detection subsystem.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the logical mixer of FIG. 8 that performs a soft-switching function by gradually shifting from a frame-difference output to a field-difference output.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a display system having a video processor that uses both frame-difference and field-difference motion detection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 schematically depicts video data for five adjacent image lines from each of three sequential fields. Each line of real image data, image data transmitted from the interleaved source, is designated by a solid line. Each line of created image data, data generated by the proscan conversion, is designated by a dashed line. The spatial relationship between image lines within a single field is shown in FIG. 1 which shows the five rows, r⁻², r⁻¹, r₀, r₁, and r₂, arranged vertically adjacent to each other. The current line, the line for which motion vectors are presently being calculated, is row r₀. Three sequential fields, f⁻², f⁻¹, and f₀, are shown in chronological order from left to right. The current field, the field for which motion vectors are presently being calculated, is f₀. As shown in FIG. 1, field f⁻² is comprised of the odd-numbered rows, r⁻¹ and r₁, of a first frame, field f⁻¹ is comprised of even-numbered rows r⁻², r₀, and r₂, and field f₀ is comprised of the odd-numbered rows, r⁻¹ and r₁, from a second frame.

The dark circle on each of the image lines represents a single pixel in the row of pixels. Unless otherwise specified, the pixel indicated in each row of a figure is the same pixel from each row, i.e. the pixel occupying the same horizontal position in each of the rows indicated.

As discussed above, non-interlaced display systems use proscan conversion to create image data for pixel 102 in row r₀ of field f₀ from data for pixels 104, 108 and 110 of an interlaced video signal. Typical motion detection algorithms subtract the pixel data of pixel 104 from the pixel data of pixel 106 and use the magnitude of the difference between the two pixels as a rough estimate of the amount of motion in the portion of the image depicted by pixel 102. If no motion is detected, the proscan conversion algorithm simply uses the data from pixel 108 for pixel 102. If a lot of motion is detected, the average of the image data from pixel 104 and pixel 110 is used for pixel 102. For intermediate motion values, a weighted average of the data from each of the three pixels is used with the weights selected to transition smoothly from the no motion use of data from pixel 108 to the high motion use of data from pixel 104 and pixel 110. For example, the image data for pixel 102, ID₁₀₂, is determined by:

ID ₁₀₂=(k*ID ₁₀₈)+(1−k)*(ID ₁₀₄ +ID ₁₁₀)/2

where ID_(x) is the image data for pixel x, and k is the magnitude of the detected motion ranging from zero to one. Since there is no need to generate image data for the image lines which are transmitted in each field, the motion detection algorithm is only used on alternate lines within each field.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a motion detection system 200 according to the prior art. In FIG. 2, delay block 202 delays the current image data 204 for one frame period. Summation block 206 subtracts the delayed image data 208 from the current image data 204. The output of the summation block 206 is a number representing the detected motion at the current image pixel. Block 210 determines the absolute value of the number representing the detected motion and block 212 modifies the absolute value. Non-linear function block 212 typically subtracts a minimum threshold value from the absolute value and limits, or clips, the result to a maximum value. The minimum threshold provides some immunity to noise on the motion signal while the maximum value narrows the range of motion values that must be considered by the proscan algorithm.

In practice, the minimum threshold values determines the point at which the proscan conversion algorithm starts using current field data to generate image data, the point at which k is greater than zero in the previous equation, while the limiting value determines the point at which the proscan conversion algorithm stops using data from a previous field to generate image data, k equal 1. Therefore, the frame-difference algorithm of FIG. 2 uses current field and previous frame data to determine a motion value, k, which controls how image data is created from current field and previous field data.

FIG. 3 depicts the operation of the frame-difference algorithm shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3, motion data for pixel 302 is generated by subtracting the prior frame adjacent pixel 306 (f⁻², r⁻¹) data from the current frame adjacent pixel 304 (f₀, r⁻¹) data. Not shown in FIG. 3 are the absolute value or the non-linear functions of FIG. 2. Depending on the motion value determined for pixel 302, image data for pixel 302 is created using image data from pixels 304, 308, and 310.

An improved frame-difference system and algorithm, which uses data from adjacent rows above and below the missing data line is depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the image data for row r₀ is generated using data from rows r⁻¹ and r₁. In FIG. 4, the current image data 402 is compared to image data from the previous frame 404, and image data from the previous line 406 is compared to image data from the previous line of the previous frame 408. Magnitude function blocks 410, and 412, modify the absolute value of the results of these comparisons resulting in a motion value 414 for the line below the missing line and a motion value 416 for the line above the missing line. These two motion values are compared and the minimum motion value 418 is used to influence the proscan algorithm. Instead of merely selecting the minimum motion value, the system of FIG. 4 can be modified to select the maximum motion value, or a weighted average of the two calculated motion values 414 and 416. FIG. 5 graphically shows the data flow through the system of FIG. 4. The absolute value/non-linear function blocks, 410 and 412, of FIG. 4 are not shown in FIG. 5.

The frame-difference systems and algorithms represented by FIGS. 2-5 reliably measure the image motion in still, or low-motion video sequences. They may, however, fail to detect motion in very high-motion image sequences due to the relatively slow sample rate of the input data.

An alternative to the frame-difference systems and algorithms of FIG. 2-5 is the field-difference motion detection system 600 of FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, the frame delay of FIG. 2 has been replaced by a field delay 602. Referring to FIG. 7, the field-difference system 600 of FIG. 6 compares transmitted image data from pixels 702 (f₀, r⁻¹) and 704 (f⁻¹, r₀) to generate a detected motion value for pixel 706 (f₀, r₀). As in the frame-difference system of FIG. 2, the magnitude of the detect motion value is modified by non-linear function block 212 before it is used to control the proscan conversion algorithm.

The advantage of the field-difference motion detection system 600 of FIG. 6 is its enhanced ability to detect rapid motion compared to the detection system of FIG. 2. The enhanced detection ability is due to the increased sample rate of the field-difference motion detection system 600 compared to the frame sample rate used by the detection system 200 of FIG. 2. The field-difference motion detection system 600 uses current field (f₀) and previous field (f⁻¹) data instead of current frame and previous frame data to determine a motion value which controls how image data is created from current field and previous field data.

Unfortunately, while the field-difference motion detection system 600 detects very high rates of motion, it also generates false motion values when the processed image has a high vertical image frequency since the two data values being compared are from different rows of the image. The image data in each line in an image with a high vertical image frequency is very different from the image data in adjacent lines. Therefore, when the field-difference motion detection system 600 compares data from pixel 702 with data from pixel 704, the line-to-line difference in still image data is interpreted as motion.

To overcome the problems inherent with frame-difference and field-difference motion detection systems, a new detection system has been developed. The disclosed motion detection system 800 is shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 9 depicts the logical operation of the motion detection system 800 on image data. The new motion detection system of FIGS. 8 and 9 determines the motion vector for each pixel in each of the missing rows by measuring and comparing four different motion vectors. First, the system of FIGS. 8 and 9 measures the frame-difference motion vector for the same pixel, the pixel in the same horizontal location, in the lines immediately above and below the pixel of interest. Then, the system measures the field-difference motion vector for the same two pixels. The lesser of the two frame-difference motion vectors and the lessor of the two field-difference motion vectors are input into a logical mixer and used to determine the motion vector to be assigned to the current pixel.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show the steps used to calculate these four motion vectors. As shown in FIG. 8, one frame-difference motion value is computed by comparing the current image data 802 from pixel 902 (f₀, r₁) of FIG. 9 with image data 804 from the same pixel of the previous frame 904 (f⁻², r₁) using block 805 while the second frame-difference motion value is computed using image data 806 from the same pixel of the previous line 906 (f₀, r⁻¹) and image data 808 from the same pixel of the previous line of the previous frame 908 (f⁻², r⁻¹) by block 809. Comparator 817 outputs the minimum value of these two comparisons as the frame-difference motion value 816 which is equivalent to the frame-difference system 400 output of FIG. 4.

The motion detection system of FIG. 8 also calculates a minimum field-difference motion value 818 by averaging the image data from pixels 910 (f⁻¹, r₀) and 912 (f⁻¹, r⁻²) and comparing the average to the image data value from pixel 906 (f₀, r⁻¹). The result is compared with a second field-difference value determined using data from pixels 902 (f₀, r₁), 910 (f⁻¹, r₀), and 914 (f⁻¹, r₂), and the minimum of the two operations is the minimum field-difference value 818.

Although FIGS. 8 and 9 each show selecting the minimum field-difference motion value 818 and the minimum frame-difference motion value 816 of the two values created, the motion detection system 800 could also select the maximum motion value, the average motion value, or a weighted average of the two motion value depending on the application.

The minimum frame-difference motion value 816 and the minimum field-difference motion value 818 are both input into a logical mixer 820. The logical mixer 820 outputs a motion value which is then smoothed by an optional vertical maximum detector 822 and an optional vertical/horizontal low pass filter 824 before being modified by an optional non-linear function 826. The vertical maximum detector 822 compares the motion value of the current line with the motion value for a pixel in the same location of the previous, current, and next lines, and uses the maximum of the three values as the current pixel's motion value. The vertical maximum detector 822 and the vertical/horizontal low pass filter 824 both operate to smooth the output of the motion detection system 800. This smoothing helps to prevent visual artifacts from being introduced between regions in which motion is detected and those in which no motion is detected. Additionally, a non-linear function block 826, which typically subtracts a minimum threshold value from the motion value and limits, or clips, the result to a maximum value, also operates to smooth the motion value determined by the circuit of FIG. 8.

The disclosed motion detection circuit relies on a new logical mixer 820 to determine the proper motion value. The logical mixer 820 is critical to obtaining the accurate motion data from the field and frame-difference portions of the motion detection system 800. Because the frame-difference portion of the motion detection system 800 is very accurate for low frequency motion, the logical mixer block outputs the results of the frame-difference subcircuit when the detected motion value is low. When the detected motion value is high, however, the logical mixer block outputs the results of the field-difference subcircuit.

To summarize FIGS. 8 and 9, a motion value for the current pixel 900 is determined by first finding a field-difference motion value 818 and a frame-difference motion value 816 and inputting the field-difference motion value 818 and frame-difference motion value 816 into logical mixer 820. The frame-difference motion value is the minimum of two frame-difference motion values obtained using adjacent data from the same field (f₀) and the previous frame (f⁻²). The first frame-difference motion value is the absolute value of the difference between image data 806 from the same pixel 906 in a prior row (r⁻¹) of the same field (f₀) and image data 808 from the same pixel 908 in the prior row (r⁻¹) of the prior frame (f⁻²). The second frame-difference motion value is the absolute value of the difference between image data 802 from the same pixel 902 in a following row (r₁) of the same field (f₀) and image data 804 from the same pixel 904 in the following row (r₁) of the prior frame (f⁻²). In other words, the frame-difference motion value is the minimum absolute value obtained by comparing same-pixel adjacent-row same-field image data 802, 806, with same-pixel adjacent-row prior-frame image data 804, 808.

Also input into the logical mixer is the field-difference motion value. The field-difference motion value is the minimum of two field-difference motion values obtained using adjacent data from the same field (f₀) and the previous field (f⁻¹). The first field-difference motion value is the absolute value of the difference between image data 806 from the same pixel 906 of the prior row (r⁻¹) of the same field (f₀) and the average of image data 810 from the same pixel 910 of the same row (r₀) of the prior field (f⁻¹) and image data 812 from the same pixel 912 of two rows prior (r⁻²) in the prior field (f⁻¹). The second field-difference motion value is the absolute value of the difference between image data 802 from the same pixel 902 of the following row (r₁) of the same field (f₀) and the average of image data 810 from the same pixel 910 of the same row (r₀) of the prior field (f⁻¹) and image data 814 from the same pixel 914 of two rows following (r₂) in the prior field (f⁻¹). In other words, the field-difference motion value is the minimum absolute value obtained by comparing same-pixel adjacent-row same-field image data 802, 806, with the average of same-pixel same-row prior-field image data 810 and same-pixel two-rows-adjacent prior-field image data 812, 814. Combining the teachings of FIGS. 6 and 7 with that of FIGS. 8 and 9, image data 810 could be substituted for the average of image data 810 and the data 812, 814, from the same pixels 912, 914, two rows adjacent (r⁻², r₂) in the prior field (f⁻¹).

FIG. 10 shows one embodiment of a logical mixer according to the present invention. In FIG. 10, the magnitude of the frame-difference motion measurement for each pixel is used as a reference by the logical mixer. The frame-difference value (MFR) is compared to a constant threshold value (TH) by comparator 1002. If the frame-difference value is greater than the threshold, the greater of the frame-difference motion value and the field-difference motion value is output by selector 1004. If the frame-difference value is less than the threshold, the frame-difference motion value is output by selector 1004. Therefore, the logical mixer 1000 of FIG. 10 selects the frame-difference motion value when there is a small motion magnitude as determined by frame-difference measurement, and the greater of the frame and field-difference motion values when the frame-difference measurement yields a large motion magnitude. The result is that the frame-difference motion value, which is very accurate, is used except when the frame-difference value is significant. This allows the faster field-difference value to be used without the fear of falsely detecting motion in still images.

FIG. 11 shows a second embodiment of a logical mixer where the threshold value is three. In FIG. 11, whenever either one or both of the two most significant bits MFR[3] or MFR[2], is set, the maximum of the minimum frame difference (MFR[3:0]) and minimum field difference (MFI[3:0]) motion values is used by the display system to calculate a current pixel motion value.

FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of a logical mixer 1200 that implements a soft switching function. In FIG. 12, comparator 1202 compares the minimum frame difference motion value (MFR[3:0]) to a lower threshold (THA), an intermediate threshold (THB), and an upper threshold (THC), and outputs a signal to multiplexer 1204 to indicate which thresholds, if any, the minimum frame difference motion value exceeds. The minimum frame-difference motion value is output by selector 1202 whenever it is less than a lower threshold (THA), and the maximum of the field and frame-difference values is used when the minimum frame-difference motion value is above an upper threshold (THC). When the minimum frame-difference value is above the lower threshold, but below the upper threshold (THC), a weighted average of the minimum frame-difference and the minimum field-difference values, determined by averaging circuitry 1206, is used. In the example shown in FIG. 12, an intermediate threshold (THB) is used to allow one of four combinations of the frame and field-difference values to control the proscan algorithm.

FIG. 13 shows one embodiment of a display system including the disclosed motion detection system. In FIG. 13, video data is received by receiver 1302. The video processor 1304 includes the disclosed motion detection system and uses the disclosed motion detection system to process the received video data. The processed video data is then output to display device 1306 for display.

Although to this point the disclosed motion detection system has been described in terms of block diagrams implementing the system, it should be understood that the system can be implemented in many ways, including hardware and software components. Table 1 below is a listing of a software program implementing the disclosed motion detection system.

TABLE 1 ******************************************************* ;* CODE FOR MOTION DETECTION COMPARISON DEMO * ;* (ONE ALGORITHM ON ONE SCREEN) * ;* This code is for “Motion Detection using Field and Frame * ;* Difference, up to Logical Mixer” algorithm * ;* * ;* lib :mac0_310.lib * ;* assembler: asm_404.exe * ;* * ;* Imodes : * ;* Im = 1 :Motion Detection using Field/Frame Difference * ;* Im = 2 :Motion Detection using Field Difference * ;* Im = 3 :Motion Detection using Frame Difference * ;* Im = 4 :Pass through * ;* Im = 5 :Pass through * ;* Im = 6 :Pass through * ;* *Im = 7 :Left Output = 2,Right Output = 1 * ;* *Im = 8 :Left Output = 3,Right Output = 1 * ;* *Im = 9 :Left Output = 1,Right Output = 2 * ;* *Im = 10 :Left Output = 1,Right Output = 3 * ;* *Im = 11 :Left Output = 1,Right Output = 4 * ;* *Im = 12 :Left Output = 1,Right Output = 5 * ;* *Im = 13 :Left Output = 1,Right Output = 6 * ;* *Im = 14 :Left Output = 6,Right Output = 4 * ;* *Im = 15 :Left Output = 5,Right Output = 4 * ;* * ;* Imodes 7 through 15 are not available with this program. * *********************************************************** ERI .width 132 .mlib c:\svp\lib\mac0_310.lib .mlib c:\lib\mac0_310.lib ;*************** RF Regions ******************************* RF0: ;--------------------------- VM00 .set0 0 ; 0H delayed Logical Mixer Output VL00 .set0 4 ; 0H delayed Vertical Max Function Output VM01 .set0 8 ; 1H delayed Logical Mixer Output VL01 .set0 12 ; 1H delayed Vertical Max Function Output VM02 .set0 16 ; 2H delayed Logical Mixer Output VL02 .set0 20 ; 2H delayed Vertical Max Function Output VM03 .set0 24 ; 3H delayed Logical Mixer Output VL03 .set0 28 ; 3H delayed Vertical Max Function Output VM04 .set0 32 ; 4H delayed Logical Mixer Output VL04 .set0 36 ; 4H delayed Vertical Max Function Output D01 .set0 0 ; Scratch memory D02 .set0 60 ; Scratch memory D03 .set0 70 ; Scratch memory L00 .set0 81 ; Scratch memory L01 .set0 91 ; Scratch memory F0 .set0 127 ; Scratch memory RF1: ;--------------------------- E10 .set1 0 ; 262H delayed Luminance E11 .set1 8 ; 263H delayed Luminance E12 .set1 16 ; 264H delayed Luminance F10 .set1 24 ; 524H delayed Luminance F11 .set1 32 ; 525H delayed Luminance F12 .set1 40 ; 526H delayed Luminance D10 .set1 48 ; Luminance D11 .set1 56 ; 1H delayed Luminance D12 .set1 64 ; 2H delayed Luminance L10 .set1 72 ; Scratch memory L11 .set1 76 ; Scratch memory L12 .set1 80 ; Scratch memory F1 .set1 127 ; Scratch memory ; DOR ;----------------------------- MMO .set 8 ; Motion Magnitude Output YO .set 0 ; DIR ;----------------------------- Y .set 0 ;Luminance Y262 .set 32 ; 262H delayed Luminance Y524 .set 8 ; 524H delayed Luminance 1rm0 40,8 1rm1 72,8 ;********************* IG Code *************************** ;***************** HSYNC 1 ******************************** hsyncl:jfaz  $ ; Wait for Flag A mov out′MMO, R0′L00+1′4 ; output Left half Motion Magnitude mov out′YOUT, R0′D03′8 ; output Left half Luminance gr10 ; Global Rotate RF0 gr11 ; Global Rotate RF1 umr ; Update Mode Resister mov R1′D10, inp′Y′8 ;input Luminance mov R1′E10, inp′Y262′8; input 262H delayed Luminance mov R1′F10, inp′Y524′8 ; input 524H delayed Luminance ; jme lum,2 mov R0′D03, R1′D12′8 ; D03 = 2H delayed Luminance ; jmp next ; lum: mov R0′D03, R1′D1′8 ; Pass Through Mode next: jme hsyncl, 4 ; if Imode = 4, then jump to hsyncl jme hsyncl, 5 ; if Imode = 5, then jump to hsyncl jme hsyncl, 6 ; if Imode = 6, then jump to hsyncl mov R0′L00, R1′F11′8 ; L00 = 525H delayed Luminance mov R0′L01, R1′F12′8 ; L01 = 526H delayed Luminance mov R0′D01, R1′E11′8 ; D01 = 263H delayed Luminance mov R0′D02, R1′E12′8 ; D01 = 264H delayed Luminance Motion Detection using Field Difference jme mfi, 2 ; ifImode = 2, then jump to MFI ;**************** MFR *********************************** ;**************** Frame Difference 1 ******************** ;**************** Subtraction 1 ************************* ;* * ;* Subtract from Previous Frame * ;* (525H delayed Luminance - Luminance) * ;* * ;**************************************************** mfr: sub  R0′L00, R0′L00′8, R1′D10′8, 0 ; L00 = 525H delayed Luma - Luma *********** Absolute/Non-Linear Function 1 *************** ;* * ;* Absolute Previous result, and add −4 * ;* (ABS(L00) + (−4)) * ;* * ;********************************************************** abs  R0′L00, R0′L00′9, 1 ; L00 = ABS(L00) addc  R0′L00, −4′4, R0′L00′9, 1 L00 = L00 + (−4) clpzt  R0′L00′4, R0′L00′10, R1′FI ; Clip L00(11 bits) to (4 bits) and save ;****************** Frame Difference 2 ********************** ;********** Subtraction 2 ********************************* ;* * ;* Subtract from 1H delayed Previous Frame * ;* (526H delayed Luminance - 1H delayed Luminance) * ;* * ;************************************************************ sub  R0′L01, R0′L01′8, R1′D11′8, 0 ; L01 = 526H delayed Luma - 1H delayed Luma ;****************** Absolute / Non-Linear Function 2 ********* ;* * ;* Absolute Previous result, and add −4 * ;* (ABS(L01) + (−4)) * ;* * ;******************************************************* abs  R0′L01,R0′L01′9, 1 ; L01 = ABS(L01) addc  R0′L01, −4′4, R0′L01′9, 17 L01 = L01 + (−4) clpzt  R1′L11′4, R0′L01′10, R1′F1 ; Clip L01 (11 bits) to (4 bits) ; and save to L11 ;**********************Min Function for MFR ***************** ;* * ;* Take the smaller of Frame Difference 1 and 2 * ;* (MIN(L00, L11)) * ;* * ;******************************************************** min  R0′L00, R0′L00, R1′L11′4, R0′F0, 0 ; L00 = MIN(L00,L11) ; Motion Detection using Frame Difference jme  move, 3 ; if Imode = 3, then jump to MOVE ;**************** MFI *************************************** ;**************** Field Difference 1 ************************ ;****************** Line Average 1 ************************** ;* * ;* Take line average of 262H delayed Luminance and 263H * ;* delayed Luminance, and subtract from present Field * ;* Luminance (Luminance - 1/2 * (262H delayed Luma + * ;* 263H delayed Luma)) * ;* * ;******************************************************** mfi: add  R0′D01, R0′D01′8, R1′E10′8, 0 D01 = 262H delayed Luma + 263H delayed Luma ; D01 = (1/2)*D01 sub  R0′D01+1, R1′D10′,8, R0′D01+1′8, 0′ ; D01 = (1/2)*D01 -Luminance ;************ Absolute / Non-linear Function 1 ***************** ;* * ;* Absolute Previous result, and add −4 * ;* (ABS(D01)+(−4)) * ;* * ;******************************************************* abs  R0′D01+1, R0′D01+1′9, 0; D01 = ABS(D01) addc  R0′D01+1, −4′4, R0′D01+1′8, 1 ; D01 = D01+(−4) clpzt R0′D01+1′4, R0′D01+1′9, R1′F1 ; Clip D01(11 bits) to (4 bits) and save ;****************** Field Difference 2 ************************* ;**************** Line Average 2 ****************************** ;* * ;* Take line average of 263H delayed Luminance 264H delayed * ;* Luminance, and subtract from 1H delayed Field Luminance * ;* ( 1H delayed Luminance - * ;* (263H delayed Luma + 264H delayed Luma) * ;* * ;****************************************************** add  R0′D02, R0′D02′8, R1′E11′8, 0 D02 = 263H delayed Luma + 264H delayed Luma ; D02 = (1/2)*D02 sub  R0′D02+1; R1′D11′8, R0′D02+1′8, 0 D02 = (1/2) * D02 - 1H delayed Luma ;*********** Absolute / Non-linear Function ********************* ;* * ;* Absolute Previous result, and add −4 * ;* (ABS(D02) + (−4)) * ;* * ;*********************************************************** abs  R0′D02+1, R0′D02+1′9, 0; D02 = ABS(D02) extending 1 bit addc  R0′D02+1, −4′4, R0′D02+1′8, 1 D01 = D01 + (−4) clpzt R1′L12′4,R0′D02+1′9, 1′F1 *; Clip D02(11 bits) to (4 bits) and save to L12 ;************ Min Function for MFI *************************** ;* * ;* Take the smaller of Field Difference 1 and 2 * ;* (MIN(D01+1,L12)) * ;* * ;*********************************************************** min  R1′L12, R1′L12, R0′D01 + 1′4, R1′F1, 0 ; L12 = MIN(L12, D01) ; Motion Detection using Field Difference jme  max3,2 ; if Imode = 2, then jump to MAX3 ;****************** Logical Mixer *************************** lmix: mov  R1′L10, R0′L00′4  ; L10 = MFR ;****************** Create Select Signal ************************ ;* * ;* By taking NOR of MSB and 2nd MSB, create Select Signal * ;* (NOR(MSB of MFR, 2nd MSB of MFR)) * ;* * ;*********************************************************** or  R1′L10+3,R1′L10+3,R0′L00+2′1 L10+3 = OR(MSB of MFR, 2nd MSB of MFR) not  R1′L10+3, R1′L10+3′1 ; L10+3 = NOT(L10+3) ;****************** Max Function ***************************** ;* * ;* Take max of MFR and MFI ;* (MAX (MFR,MFI) * ;* * ;********************************************************* max  R1′L12, R1′L12, R0′L00′4, R1′F1, 0 ; L12 = Max(MFR, MFI) ;****************** Selector ******************************** ;* * ;* Select MFR or Max of MFR and MFI, depending * ;* on Select Signal * ;********************************************************** kmov  R1′L12, R0′L00′4, R1′L10+3 Select : ifL10+3 = 1, L12 = L00(MFR) ; ifL10+3= 0, L12 = L12 jmp  max3 ; Jump to MAX3 ;****************** 3 Line Max Function ********************* move: mov  R1′L12, R0′L00′4 ; L12 = L00 = MFR Min Function Output max3: mov  R0′VM00, R1′L12′4 ; VM00 = L12 = Logical Mixer Output(LMO) max  R1′L12, R1′L12, R0′VM01′4, R0′F0, 0 L12 = MAX(VM00, 1H delayed LMO) max  R1′L12, R1′L12, R0′VM02′4, R0′F0, 0 ; L12 = MAX(L12, 2H delayed LMO) ;*************** 5 Line Vertical Max Function *************** ; max  R1′L12, R1′L12, R0′VM03′4, R0′F0, 0 ; L12 = MAX(L12, 3H delayed LMO) ; max  R1′L12, R1′L12, R0′VM04′4, R0′F0, 0 L12 = MAX(L12, 4H delayed LMO) ;************* Vertical Low Pass Filter ******************* ;* * ;* 1/4T{circumflex over ( )}2+ 1/2T{circumflex over ( )}1 + 1/2 + 1/2T{circumflex over ( )}1 + 1/4T{circumflex over ( )}2 * ;* * ;*********************************************************** mov  R0′VL00, R1′L12′4 ; VL00 = L12 add  R1′L12, R1′L12′4, R0′VL04′4, 0 L12 = VL00 + 4H delayed VL00 ; L12= 1/2*L12 add  R1′L12+1, R1′L12+1′4, R0′VL01′4, 0 ; L12= L12 + 1H delayed VL00 add  R1′L12+1, R1′L12+1′5, R0′VL02′4, 0 L12 = L12 + 2H delayed VL00 add  R1′L12+1, R1′L12+1′6, R0′VL03′4, 0 ; L12 = L12 + 3H delayed VL00 ;********************** Horizontal Low Pass **************** ;* * ;* H(z) = (z{circumflex over ( )}− 1 + z{circumflex over ( )}1)(z{circumflex over ( )}− 2 + z{circumflex over ( )}2)(z{circumflex over ( )}− 1 + 1)(z{circumflex over ( )}1 + 1) * 1/8 * ;* ;******************************************************* add  R0′L00-3, LR1′L12+2′6, RR1′L12+2′6, 0 ; L00 = Left(L12) + Right(L12) add  R0′L00-3, L2R0′L00-3′7, R2R0′L00-3′7, 0 L00 = 2Left(L00) + 2Right(L00) add  R0′L00-3, LR0′L00-3′8, R0′L00-3′8, 0 ; L00 = Left(L00) + L00 add  R0′L00-3, RR0′L00-3,9, R0′L00-3′9, 0 L00 = Right(L00) + L00 ;****************** Non-linear Function ************** ;* * ;* add −2 to previous result and devide by 2 * ;* * ;********************************************************* set R0′L00+7,0,1 ; sign L00 addc R0′L00, −2,3, R0′L00′8, 1 ; L00 = L00 + (−2) L00 = 1/2 * L00 clpzt R0′L00+1′4, R0′L00+1′8, R1′F1 ; Clip L00(8 bits) to (4 bits) and save jmp hsyncl ; Jump and wait for hsyncl .end ;******************** EOF *******************************

Thus, although there has been disclosed to this point a particular embodiment for a motion detection system and a method thereof, it is not intended that such specific references be considered as limitations upon the scope of this invention except in-so-far as set forth in the following claims. Furthermore, having described the invention in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that further modifications may now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, for example, later data fields, if available, could also be used to determine the motion of the image data, it is intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of converting interlaced video data to progressive scanned video data, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a series of fields of interlaced video data; calculating a field-difference motion value for a missing pixel by determining the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel adjacent-row same-field image data and same-pixel same-row prior-field image data of said received interlaced video data; and selecting a proscan algorithm based on said field-difference motion value.
 2. A method of converting interlaced video data to progressive scanned data, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a series of fields of interlaced video data; calculating a field-difference motion value for a missing pixel by determining the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel adjacent-row same-field image data and same-pixel same-row prior-field image data of said received interlaced video data; and selecting a proscan algorithm based on said field-difference motion value; said step of calculating a field-difference motion value comprising: determining a first field-difference motion value equal to the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel prior-row same-field image data and same-pixel same-row prior-field image data; and determining a second field-difference motion value equal to the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel following-row same-field image data and same-pixel same-row prior-field image data.
 3. A method of converting interlaced video data to progressive scanned data, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a series of fields of interlaced video data; calculating a field-difference motion value for a missing pixel by determining the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel adjacent-row same-field image data and same-pixel same-row prior-field image data of said received interlaced video data; and selecting a proscan algorithm based on said field-difference motion value; further comprising the step of: selecting a minimum of said first and second field-difference motion values as said field-difference motion value.
 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of: selecting a minimum of said first and second field-difference motion values as said field-difference motion value.
 5. A method of converting interlaced video data to progressive scanned data, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a series of fields of interlaced video data; calculating a field-difference motion value for a missing pixel by determining the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel adjacent-row same-field image data and same-pixel same-row prior-field image data of said received interlaced video data; and selecting a proscan algorithm based on said field-difference motion value; further comprising the step of: subtracting a minimum threshold value from said field-difference motion value.
 6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of: subtracting a minimum threshold value from said field-difference motion value.
 7. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of: subtracting a minimum threshold value from said field-difference motion value.
 8. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of: subtracting a minimum threshold value from said field-difference motion value.
 9. A method of converting interlaced video data to progressive scanned data, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a series of fields of interlaced video data; calculating a field-difference motion value for a missing pixel by determining the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel adjacent-row same-field image data and same-pixel same-row prior-field image data of said received interlaced video data; and selecting a proscan algorithm based on said field-difference motion value; further comprising the step of: limiting said field-difference motion value to a maximum value.
 10. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of: limiting said field-difference motion value to a maximum value.
 11. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of: limiting said field-difference motion value to a maximum value.
 12. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of: limiting said field-difference motion value to a maximum value.
 13. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of: limiting said field-difference motion value to a maximum value.
 14. A method of converting interlaced video data to progressive scanned data, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a series of fields of interlaced video data; calculating a field-difference motion value for a missing pixel of the received interlaced video data; calculating a frame-difference motion value for a missing pixel of the received interlaced video data; and selecting a proscan algorithm for creating data for said missing pixel based on both said frame-difference said field-difference motion values.
 15. A method of converting interlaced video data to progressive scanned data, said method comprising the steps of: calculating a field-difference motion value for a missing pixel; calculating a frame-difference motion value for a missing pixel; and selecting a proscan algorithm for creating data for said missing pixel based on both said frame-difference and said field-difference motion values; said step of calculating a frame-difference motion value comprising: calculating a first frame-difference motion value equal to the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel prior-row same-field image data and same-pixel prior-row prior-frame image data; and calculating a second frame-difference motion value equal to the absolute value of the difference between same-pixel following-row same-field image data and same-pixel prior-row prior-frame image data.
 16. A method of converting interlaced video data to progressive scanned data, said method comprising the steps of: calculating a field-difference motion value for a missing pixel; calculating a frame-difference motion value for a missing pixel; and selecting a proscan algorithm for creating data for said missing pixel based on both said frame-difference and said field-difference motion values; further comprising the step of: selecting a minimum of said first and second frame-difference motion values as said frame-difference motion value.
 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of: selecting a minimum of said first and second frame-difference motion values as said frame-difference motion value. 